“Buy-and-Bail” Phenomenon ObservedIn Toughest Housing Markets Stock market investors with a loss have long been able to take advantage of something called the “wash sale” rule. That allows them to stay in a stock that has dropped, but still take a tax loss. Now, something similar but much more nefarious — called ‘buy-and-bail” — appears...Read More

Real Estate and Inflation (cont.)What if there was a way to lock in what you paid, at today’s prices, what you spent on necessities such as food, gas, or health care? And what if the price of any of those things ever dropped, you could – for a relatively nominal fee — switch to the...Read More

Multiple-choice Economics QuizGiven that it’s a Presidential year, a quick, multiple choice economics quiz seems in order: Which embattled U.S. job category has suffered the biggest drop in income the last three years? A. Airline pilots being squeezed by industry mergers and rising energy prices.B. Textile workers losing their jobs to their counterparts in China...Read More